The Landy Issue 4 (June 2014)

FREE EVERY MONTH FROM YOUR LAND ROVER SPECIALIST ‘SHE’S COST A FORTUNE, LIKE ANY LADY WORTH CARING ABOUT!’ A Series IIB makes a return to her former glories – as a sensibly restified working classic

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SAVING THE EARLIEST DISCOS

G-WAC registered Discoverys are an endangered species.

They were used at the launch of ‘Project Jay’ in 1989. But only 19 of these original Discos still exist.

A dedicated group of fans is trying to keep as many alive as possible.

But the first Discos were horribly prone to rust. So saving them is a race against time.

Full story: Page 20

When this Discovery showed up at Gumtree 4x4 sprouting grass from every orifice, it looked like a classic case of farmer love.

But it wasn’t until the guys opened its bonnet that the full extent of what the Disco had been through become clear.

Full story: Page 8

Owning a string of expensive sports cars wasn’t enough for John Duerden. What he really wanted was a Land Rover.

No surprise that when he moved to the country and got one, it was a bit of a looker. But when your first car was a V8 Lightweight, owning a Landy is about a lot more than just that.

Full story: Page 14

P38A SPRING CONVERSION

As MkII Rangeys gain classic status, is converting them to coils the no-brainer it used to be?

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Issue 4: June 2014

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CHINA FIRST AS HYBRID RANGE ROVER MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT Orders open this month as China is chosen as the first market to receive the history-making diesel-electric hybrid from Land Rover Mike Trott The latest addition to the Range Rover family has been unveiled in the form of the luxurious Long Wheelbase Hybrid, which was showcased at the Beijing Motor Show.

In what was the global debut for the model, this diesel hybrid, along with the Range Rover Sport equivalent, will be the first on sale by any manufacturer in China.

The concepr is to provide the best all-round vehicle possible, with unrivalled luxury and comfort mixed with excellent fuel economy and the usual breadth of capability that comes with every Land Rover.

China has been identified as one of the growing markets which demand luxury vehicles and Land Rover has pounced on the opportunity with its Long Wheelbase version, with deliveries expected to reach their owners later this year.

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We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk The Range Rover and Sport have won countless awards in their sector since their original launch and they look set to reap more accolades with their new hybrid technology.

Combining the latest diesel engines with electric motors, the vehicles boast figures of up to 26% less CO2 emissions (169g/km) and a combined cycle run of 44.1mpg.

To achieve these lower emissions the Range Rover Hybrid uses Land Rover’s 3.0-litre SDV6 diesel power plant, which is mated to a 35kW electric motor. It also incorporates the eight-speed ZF auto gearbox that has

three selectable driving modes, so the driver can give preference towards performance or economy.

With both motors in operation, the hybrid system turns out 335bhp at 4000rpm and 516lbf.ft of torque between 1500 and 3000rpm – enough performance for most of the situations any Range Rover will find itself in.

And you can enjoy that performance with added space as the LWB version provides an additional 186mm of legroom for those in the rear passenger seats.

If you opt for the executive seating package, you have the benefit of an

increased rear seat angle of recline to 17 degrees. Handy for when you want to have a nap and rest soundly as your driver continues to transport you to your destination. You can sleep

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Combined miles per gallon returned by the hybrid Range Rover 335bhp dieselelectric power train

even more soundly knowing that the hybrid versions have the same familiar Terrain Response systems and all-wheel drive technology, so your elongated 4x4 remains fit for its usual off-roading.

The electric motor, with its lithium ion battery pack and inverter, means the system weighs less than 120kg.

It stores kinetic energy through regenerative braking by acting as a generator, charging the battery while the vehicle decreases in speed.

In EV (Electric Vehicle) mode, the Hybrid Rangey can reach speeds of up to 30mph over the course of one mile

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before the diesel engine is required to intervene. That’s a handy party piece, but what the system is principally designed to do is enhance the power and performance of the diesel engine – which, as the figures quoted above amply demonstrate, it does to great effect.

The vehicle making its debut in China is virtually identical to the model which will be go on sale elsewhere around the globe soon after. The only difference will be to the exhaust, whose design has been optimised for the emission laws which operate in China.

Range_e: driving the plug-in hybrid that points the way to Land Rover’s future The new Range Rover Hybrid’s fuel consumption and emissions figures of 44.1mpg and 169g/km should be enough to impress anyone. But there’s a Range Rover Sport that can do even better – having brought the latter figure down to just 89g/km.

Range_e has become well known as the face of Land Rover’s push towards electric propulsion. It was used for developing much of the technology on the new Hybrid, but on top of that it features plug-in charging.

Solihull’s intention is to offer a palette of options from among the many different emission-reduction solutions it’s working on.

The diesel hybrid is the first of these; beyond it, plug-in charging is ‘one of the major technologies in the portfolio.’

Those are the words of Paul Bostock, who heads up Land Rover’s moves towards hybrid power. He expects plug-in technology to come to market some way down the line, with fuel cells further in the future. When these do arrive, he believes they’re likely to appear as rangeextenders on plug-in electric vehicles.

Solihull’s targets with the Range_e project were to achieve emissions of less than 90g/km, a charging time under eight hours and a range of more than 20 miles, then after that to ‘maintain

as many of the base car’s attributes as possible’ in terms of load space and passenger capacity.

Beyond this, Bostock stresses that while the development vehicle’s off-road abilities are theoretical, ‘any product needs to be fully offroad capable.’

In terms of towing, the Range Rover has always been able to haul the legal maximum of 3500kg. But as always, engineering design is all about compromise – and cost. ‘We’d very much like to keep 3500kg,’ Bostock told us, ‘and engineering-wise it is achievable. But how much more would you like to pay for an extra 500kg of towing capacity?’

Actually driving a vehicle from the Range_e programme is a strange experience. Its drivetrain operates near-silently operation at low speeds, which is as it should be on electricity alone, but when speed builds up and the diesel engine kicks in, it does so with a seamlessness and total lack of noise that means you’d be doing well to notice it. For it to start up without throwing any vibrations through the car is quite some achievement.

The 3.0 SDV6 engine remains almost silent as you continue. When we drove the vehicle, the only major reminder of its nature was a huge delay in the response when we tried to

kick it down. Bostock acknowledged at the time that there was ‘work to do’ on calibrating the clutches in the gearbox, which works without a traditional torque converter. ‘The transition between the electric and diesel elements is still being refined. We’re constantly working to develop their behaviour.’

That this stage of the hybrid engineering team’s work is now complete is evident in the fact that the LWB Hybrid is at last ready for launch. It’s a major step on the road to a truly clean Range Rover – and as Range_e illustrates, Land Rover already knows exactly where those next steps will be.

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POLICE TARGET PARTS THEFTS FROM PARKED LAND ROVERS LED headlamps and other high-value parts at risk as thieves move from stealing whole vehicles to removing items from them Mike Trott Thieves in West Yorkshire have been targeted by a countywide operation to crack down on Land Rover parts theft.

West Yorkshire Police launched Operation Emporia to help fight the rise in thefts of parts from parked 4x4s, particularly Defenders – with the initiative already having made 14 arrests so far.

Warrants have been executed and a special task force of officers have searched nine premises in Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield over the last two months, resulting in the recapture of two stolen vehicles and a number of stolen parts from Range Rovers.

Of the 14 arrests, one man has been charged with theft, while the other 13 have been interviewed and released on bail.

Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles have been the subject of this increasing issue, with the vehicles

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being targeted by thieves for items such as doors, mirrors, bonnets, wheels and grilles – and especially LED headlamps.

Chief Inspector Steve Thomas, the force lead for Operation Emporia, said: ‘Operation Emporia is a co-ordinated force response to an identified emerging crime type with 4x4 vehicles being targeted by thieves.

The activity over the past few weeks shows how seriously we are taking this issue and we will continue to utilise a number of tactics to tackle this offending head-on.

‘Working closely with manufacturers, we have been stopping certain vehicles fitted with LED headlamps to ensure they are legitimate. I want to reassure drivers of Land Rovers or Range Rovers fitted with LED headlights that if they are stopped by the police it is part of our work to protect their vehicles and would look for their support.’

With the issue still very much at large, as part of the continuing scheme, owners of 4x4 vehicles who have recently fitted second-hand LED lights are being advised to contact police with proof of purchase.

‘I would urge anyone who has recently had such parts fitted to make contact to advise where these parts were fitted. I would also urge caution for anyone looking to buy secondhand parts.

‘If we stop a vehicle and it is suspected that it is fitted with stolen

£1000

Estimated cost of replacing the stolen bonnet on a 90 and repairing the damage done while taking it

parts then these will be removed and the owner could face prosecution.

‘Any owners of these kinds of vehicles looking to buy second-hand parts need to ensure they buy from reputable sellers and know where the parts have come from. What may seem like a bargain at the time may well be too good to be true and could leave you left out in the dark.’

Members of the public are also being encouraged to report any suspicious behaviour, as well of course as the theft of parts from their own vehicles.

‘If you see anything suspicious then please call police immediately. It is also vital that if your vehicle is stolen or any part taken, that you report it to us so we can do all we can to recover it.’

Anyone with information about this type of crime is urged to call the Operation Emporia team on 101 or pass information anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Landies top the vehicle theft charts, too Specialist insurer Adrian Flux has released figures showing that Land Rovers are the most frequently stolen vehicles on the market.

Defender theft has been running at epidemic levels for years, so it won’t be any surprise that ‘real’ Landies account for 73% of the vehicles taken.

The company puts this down in part to the lack of Thatcham approved alarms on pre-2007 models, which are very popular with criminals as they can be broken for parts so easily.

With parts now being stripped off parked Defenders, there’s no easy solution. Ultimately, there’s still nothing to beat keeping your Land Rover in a garage overnight.

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Issue 4: June 2014

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Royal visit as JLR picks up Queen’s Award

Export achievements recognised as growth continues across Jag and Land Rover Jaguar Land Rover has received the 2014 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The prestigious award comes as a result of the company’s sales success through global exports to more than 170 countries.

The Queen cited Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘outstanding overseas sales growth over the last three years’. The official notification that was supplied to the company read: ‘Her Majesty The Queen has been graciously pleased to approve the Prime Minister’s recommendation that your business should receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, this year.’

From the company’s three UK manufacturing plants, 80% of the vehicles produced are exported, mostly to Europe, China and North America.

These sales alone account for 60% of output. In 2013, the company sold 425,006 vehicles, up 19% on 2012.

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Exec, said of the Queen’s Award: ‘We are delighted and honoured to receive this recognition of Jaguar Land Rover’s contribution to British enterprise. Our success is thanks to our dedicated and passionate employees, who create exciting vehicles that are in high demand with customers around the world.

‘The more we build our business, the more opportunity we can create to improve the lives of many families by recruiting and training more people, investing in facilities and communities and strengthening the overall growth of the UK economy.

‘This Queen’s Award is the perfect complement to us being named Responsible Business of the Year 2013, in recognising our success internationally as well as the many positive ways we contribute to society.’

Jaguar Land Rover will open its first all-new engine manufacturing facility later this year, located near Wolverhampton and focusing on production of its next-generation powertrains – a new family of aluminium engines called ‘Ingenium.’

Around 1400 UK jobs will be created by the company’s £500m investment in this new plant, with a further 3500 highly skilled jobs in the pipeline for the supply chain and wider UK economy.

Jaguar Land Rover received more than 200 international awards during 2013 for all aspects of the company.

It is also a warranted supplier to the households of HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Prince of Wales – making it the only automotive company to hold all three Royal Warrants.

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

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Fjord focus for new tour Atlas Overland is introducing a new tour to its 2015 schedule, in the shape of the new Scandinavian Tour.

This latest adventure will highlight some of the best features these northern countries have to offer, with Denmark, Sweden and Norway all part of the itinerary. The environment may be capable of getting chilly, but you can expect a warm reception.

To make sure you enjoy as much as possible of the time available in Scandinavia, all travellers will take the North Sea ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark. Your instinct might be to overland it, but a private external en-suite cabin ought to help make the crossing that bit smoother.

Across the 16-day tour, the sights you’ll take in include the Great Belt Bridge and Oresund Bridge on your way into Sweden, plus of course the marvellous scenery of Norway’s coastal tracks and fjords – Geraingerfjord and the hairpins of the Trollstigen and Ornevegen roads are of particular note. You’ll even have time to experience the odd bit of city

life, with Copenhagen and Trondheim on the list of destinations to visit, in case the enjoyable driving leaves you in need of a reminder that the first purpose of overland travel is to discover new places.

Advance booking is recommended, as there are only limited spaces available. Many of Atlas Overland’s 2014 tours are already fully booked, so don’t let the dates of 27 June to 12 July 2015 make you think it won’t come round soon (and fill up fast).

The Tour costs £1295 per person, based on two people sharing a vehicle.

This includes the North Sea ferry return crossing and your 14 nights’ Scandinavian campsite fees. You’ll also have the services of an Atlas Overland guide, along with a fully equipped support vehicle, on call 24/7.

With so many overlanding companies always seeming to concentrate on the same destinations, Scandinavia promises something genuinely new to the Land Rover holidaymaker. For more info, pay a visit to www.atlasoverland.com.

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Just how far can you let a Discovery go?

Has Gumtree 4x4 uncovered the worst ever case of 4x4 Lawn on a still-running Landy?

Gemma Pask You don’t need to know an awful lot about Land Rovers to know that when there’s grass growing from under the headlights and an unknown substance festering on the engine, you’ve got a problem on your hands. For John Bowden and Gumtree 4x4, it’s not an unfamiliar problem.

Most would be shocked to see a Discovery in such a dire state. But

when this one was driven into the Gumtree workshop earlier this year, John knew just what to do.

Based in Ditchling Common, the team deals with farming vehicles on a regular basis. ‘This was one of the most agricultural we’d ever got,’ says John, ‘it was brought in by a local farmer who was driving it over grassland 90% of the time.’

If the photos are anything to go by, it seems this caused the engine to sprout

hair. We think it could be some sort of nest-like creation woven by nature using a combination of cow hair and grass seeds, but one thing’s for sure and that’s that it took a long time to get like this.

The air filter looks like it could have done with an air filter of its own, too.

And its housing is home to a selection of forestry an honours student could write his thesis about.

Then there’s the little garden growing beneath the front headlights.

A quaint touch, yes, but a little far removed from the normal purpose of a Land Rover, let’s say. Self-propelled wheelbarrow? Actually, maybe it’s not that absurd after all.

Despite having somehow passed its MOT not long before, the Disco’s owner was forced to seek Gumtree’s help when the head gasket started to let go. Said owner isn’t Monty Don, we should stress – in fact, he’s a hill farmer from up on the South Downs somewhere who, John comments with the tact of a master, ‘is maybe better at looking after his animals than his Land Rovers.’

Not surprisingly, John reckons the failing head gasket wasn’t helped by the mud and grass that was clogging up the radiator. An easy fix so long as you catch it early, anyway, which was quickly resolved, and the Discovery was back on the farm before long.

It wasn’t the end of the world. But, as John says, a little maintenance goes a long way – especially if your truck spends 90% of its time crawling through muck and grass.

‘Blow out the radiator with an air line or hose pipe,’ John suggests. ‘But, gently! Be too forceful and you may end up adding exploded radiator to your list of problems.’

A cautionary tale, then. And you wouldn’t want to be around when the radiator, or anything else under this Disco’s bonnet, exploded. The mushroom cloud of grass seeds would be visible from miles off…

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Comment

An issue that’s consistently dogged the Defender ever since I started writing about Land Rovers two decades ago has been the amount of people wanting to steal them.

Back then, the problem was with the enormous value of Tdi engines on the black market. Thieves would nick a truck, fetch the engine out and either get it out of the country by daybreak or flog it to the scummy end of the repower business.

I knew a chap who discovered that the ID number on the Tdi in his hybrid, which had been built for him by a pro garage, seemed suspect. Being a good citizen, he told the police. I think it was the last he ever saw of his Land Rover, and the twenty grand he’d spent on it.

You can debate the rights and wrongs of that. But owning a Defender means being ever watchful.

Not just for pond life trying to nick it, but for anything, absolutely anything you buy for it having been taken from someone else’s truck.

That extends to doors, bonnets, even headlamps. The latest seems to be LED spotlights, which is hardly a surprise as they cost so much; people have long been etching their Discos’ standard headlamps, which thieves have learned to remove in a few moments’ work, and expensive spots will surely follow.

There’s nothing they won’t take if there’s a quid in it. The cost of fixing the damage they do in the process always costs more than they make by flogging their stolen goods, but as if they’d care about that. If there was money to be made in stealing the brakes from a parked vehicle, even if it meant someone was going to die next time they drove it, do you think these people would pause for even a second before doing it?

There’s no easy answer. Not that doesn’t involve weapons, anyway.

But if you have a Defender on your drive and a garage full of garden furniture… well, there’s an obvious joke if I say it’s about time you went out and bought a shed. But it is.

Alan Kidd, Editor

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Solihull signs up to posh travel partnership with Abercrombie and Kent Land Rover has teamed up with exclusive travel specialist Abercrombie and Kent to announce a new partnership – the snappily titled Land Rover Adventure Travel by Abercrombie and Kent.

The two names are collaborating to provide would-be adventurers access to unforgettable experiences that take in epic scenery and wildlife, rub shoulders with local communities and, all the while, give you an authentic experience off the beaten track.

It’s not what you’d call roughing it – Abercrombie and Kent specialises in a level of outdoor living that would make the most dedicated glamping enthusiast feel like they’d won the lottery. Which they might just have had to do in order to get on board, because these tours are not cheap – don’t expect a lot of change out of ten grand per person.

Clients will also be kept right by a team of specialist instructors while experiencing the full capabilities of

a Land Rover Discovery from their elevated place in the driving seat.

The partnership will kick off with a Best of British Tour, followed by two itineraries that highlight the most memorable encounters of Africa and India you’re likely to have.

The eight-day Best of British Tours in September, targeted at overseas visitors, will commence from London’s Savoy Hotel. Travellers will then continue into the countryside and visit the historic sites of central England.

During the tour, travellers can put their driving skills to the test with Land Rover Experience instructors on hand, and a stop at Gaydon will allow for a dabble in a series of heritage Land Rovers.

This autumn, between 1 September and 14 October, a series of four ten-day adventures will take place in Tanzania, taking in the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Tarangire National Parks and by night returning to be looked after in Abercrombie and Kent’s trademark luxury mobile tented camps.

You can expect to see lots of big game and other wildlife here as you put the Discovery through its paces across these challenging three-day drives in the Serengeti. Expert guides will accompany the Tanzanian tours – no so much to keep you right behind the wheel (though they will) but to make sure you get the best experience from the local archaeology and wildlife you see, from the endangered black rhino to the vast herds of zebra and wildebeest that roam the caldera.

Land Rover and Abercrombie and Kent’s second adventure in 2014 will swap lions for tigers as the convoy tours the subcontinent of India.

Four of these tours will run between 1 November and 11 December, with clients able to cherish India’s extraordinary heritage, rich jungle, deep ravines and dense forest.

The tour begins in Delhi and, exploring routes that are less frequently used, takes you through national parks rich in wildlife including stunning birdlife, spotted deer and black buck as well, of course, as tigers. Venturing up into the hills of Pench National Park, it also gives you the opportunity to look out for leopards and wild dogs, before the focus turns to the Mughal splendours of the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan and the ‘rose city’ of Jaipur.

With both Land Rover Experience instructors and Abercrombie and Kent’s guides accompanying the tours, guests will be able to push their Discovery to its full while taking in every drop of knowledge available along the way. And to round off each amazing day, the best in accommodation and cuisine awaits each lucky traveller.

The partnership between these two great British companies promises to be the start of an exciting project, bringing customers closer to some of the more diverse and extraordinary parts of the world. Whatever you think of the poshed-up experience this kind of travel gives to the lucky few who can afford to savour it, it’s certainly a perfect example of the sort of thing Land Rover built the Discovery to be able to do. For those with the means, adventure will never be far away – and neither will the luxuries of home.

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NEXT MONTH SHE’S A BEAUTY The tale of a 107” Station Wagon that’s slowly regaining its former glories With the Discovery 1 getting scarce and Defenders costing sillier money than ever, more and more people are looking at the Disco 2 for their next project. Are they as easy to modify as the rest of Land Rover’s live-axled offerings?

The 90SV was an instant classic when it came out.

One example was campaigned for years by one of Britain’s top winch challenge teams. Happily, now they’ve brought it back to life they don’t plan to bounce it off any more trees…

DON’T FORGET – THE LANDY IS FREE EVERY MONTH! Pick up your copy of our July 2014 issue from 20 June – available from Britpart dealers and free to read online at www.thelandy.co.uk

01283 553243 • enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk • www.thelandy.co.uk • www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor Mike Trott Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Robbie Ronson, Olly Sack, Malky Styles, Paul Looe, Vince Pratt, Robbie Strong Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm, Vic Peel

Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@ assignment-media.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor

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Issue 4: June 2014

It might not be in the same league as the Defender or Discovery off-road, but the Freelander is a willing trier nonetheless. You just need to know what to avoid – and with MM4x4’s latest light pod in place on its bonnet, scanning the ground ahead for things that might ground you out has never been easier.

The pods also look cool, whether or not the 4 x 55-watt bulbs inside them are actually switched on. Definitely handy if you use your Freelander on the lanes at night, where roofmounted spots can so easily be fetched off by tree branches.

Finished in a black casing, the bonnet pods are easily fitted using two securing nuts and bolts. MM4x4 does advise, though, that for hardcore off-road use you’ll need to use more than just the two fixings provided in a kit priced at £222 including VAT. www.mm-4x4.com K&N Filters has announced new additions to its range for the Defender and Evoque. Designed as a direct replacement for stock components, the filter fits inside the original factory fitted airbox. Fitting is simple and in most cases takes no more than a few minutes.

K&N’s air filters can increase airflow by up to 3040% over a standard paper filter, which gives more horsepower and improved acceleration while still providing up to 99% filtration efficiency. Improved fuel economy isn’t unheard of, either – and all K&N filters are washable and reusable, so they even make your vehicle that little bit greener as they don’t need to be replaced.

As long as you clean and re-oil after every 30-50,000 miles of normal use, K&N says its filters should last you for years. In any case, you’ll be covered by the company’s Million-Mile Limited Warranty.

The filter for the 2007-12 Defender 2.4 TDCI costs £57.85, while the one for the Evoque 2.0 petrol and 2.2 diesel is priced at £50.00. In each case, that’s plus VAT. www.knfilters.co.uk Momo has just launched a new Boss Kit for the Defender. Tailored specifically to fit the vehicle’s unique steering column, this allows you to remove the original wheel and replace it with one of Momo’s own designs – without losing everyday functions like indicator cancelling as you return to centre.

The kit is priced at an RRP of £56.66 plus VAT and is available from Brown and Geeson. www.b-gdirect.com.

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In South Africa, they’re so into overland travel that they even have a word for the folding barbecues they take with them. ‘Braai’ is one of those wonderfully evocative words, and the smells you get from them are pretty nice too.

This new braai has been brought to the UK

by Bushpig, which is a very appropriate name as they’re designed to a) be taken into the bush, and b) turn a pig into your dinner.

The braai weighs in at 7.0 kilograms, making it a relatively lightweight and easily portable cooker designed with practicality in mind. As opposed to some of the baking-tray-turnedfake-BBQ items you can get, it’s of folded and welded steel construction.

Suitable for overlanding adventures or just a local camping trip, we can see this becoming a popular addition to many a green laner’s onboard inventory. It can double up as a BBQ for your back garden, too.

The braai comes complete with legs, lid and grill, with the latter being removable if you want to use it for pots and pans. The available cooking area is 50cm x 25cm, or 20” x 10”, so you can cremate several sausages at once.

After you’ve taken off your apron, you can also use the cooking unit as a fire box to provide warmth. Optional extras include a selection of interchangeable grills, a hot plate and a carry bag, which come over and above a base price of £73.65. www.bush-pig.co.uk

Extreme 4x4 has recently launched a series of new and improved products, including these challenge dampers for off-road as well as fast road use.

The dampers are available with a range of pin, ring and double-shear mountings, making it easier to use them as bolt-on replacements for your truck’s existing units.

Other features include a solid 20mm S45C steel shaft, which is chrome plated for extra long seal

and shaft life; a twin tubed 46mm bore with 52mm diameter outer case; Hallite seals; and a Teflon piston seal.

These race-proven shocks are finished in a white powder coat and come in a choice of standard and +2” lengths. They’re available for the Defender 90 and 110, Discovery 1 and 2 and Range Rover Classic, and cost from £39.99 each plus VAT. www.extreme4x4.co.uk

Warn has released a range of neoprene covers for its winches, to help defend your investment against stones, road debris and the elements.

An elasticated cover stretches over the winch while on the vehicle, preventing flapping and taking away the need for cords and straps.

Each winch cover comes with a bottle of UV Protective Spray which, with occasional application, will ensure the covers retain the maximum UV protection.

The covers are suitable for a range of Warn’s winches including Zeon, Tabor, M8, 9.5XP, VR and Utility, with RRPs starting at £31. www.arbil.co.uk/4x4

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Britpart’s new Brake Caliper Rebuild Tool Kit takes the grief out of an awkward job by helping you fit the dust seal that has to go on after the pistons have been fitted. It comes ready to fit both 41mm and 44mm pistons, and is supplied complete with a heavyduty piston spreader to let the seals to be pushed into place evenly. Expect to spend a bit more than £50. www.britpart.com

Mud-UK has added two new options to its range of cargo nets. The first is a hammock style job measuring a sizeable 1050 x 270mm; the second is a ‘load bed’ net which stretches from 630 x 1000mm to 950 x 1000mm.

Both nets can be easily installed in virtually any vehicle, and the hammock net comes with four carabena-style hooks to anchor easily into position. The nets use high quality close-weave elasticised netting and are manufactured in Germany by the same company that makes them for Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.

The 1050 x 270mm Hammock Net costs £20 including VAT, with the Cargo Net priced at £24. www.mudstuff.co.uk

The latest hardcore kit from MM4x4’s Pro Trac range is a heavy-duty steering guard for the Defender, Discovery 1 and Range Rover Classic. A one-piece construction made in the UK, it’s fabricated from 5mm thick steel plate and comes with 10mm recovery eyes.

It’s supplied with a gold zinc-plated finish to toughen it still further, and costs £90 including VAT. www.mm-4x4.com

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A VERY BIG CAR IN THE

‘IT’S KEEPING IT REAL. THERE’S JUST NOTHING LIKE IT’

COUNTRY

Driving a string of desirable performance cars didn’t stop John Duerden from dreaming about one day owning a Land Rover.

So when he finally moved out of the city and became a country-dweller once again, this farmer-turned-stock-trader knew exactly what he wanted to put on his driveway…

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hen John Duerden moved to the countryside after spending five years in the urban hubbub of Manchester, the first thing he did was revisit his farming roots with a purchase of the 3.5-litre V8-powered kind. The vehicle in question, a Defender of some note, has a straightthrough exhaust exiting behind the cab via a vertical stainless steel stack, and would struggle to be anything else.

It’s fair to say that in John’s hands the 90 has become a Landy of the

Words Paul Looe Pictures Harry Hamm street machine persuasion. But it wasn’t always like that. He’s the third owner since it began its transformation from a tired old farm truck – each has played a role in turning it into the eye-catcher it is today, but the guys

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More power when you put a Rangey V8 in a 2.5D 90

who kicked it all off were as willing to rag it in quarries as cruise it around town. In fact, the evidence is on show for all to see on YouTube, as well as the newly fitted V8’s hillclimbing ability.

Newly fitted, yes. Despite dating from the era when the V8 was still on Land Rover’s price list as part of the Defender’s engine line-up, John’s truck started out as a 2.5 diesel. Meanwhile, the engine started its life in a Range Rover and was adapted to slide in beneath the 90’s bonnet, where it mates to the original LT77 gearbox

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Here stands a man who’s owned his share of flash Mercs and BMWs. His other car, if you don’t mind, is a Ferrari.

But when you talk cars with him, what gets him really animated? Tales of what he used to get up to in the V8-engined Lightweight he had when he was 17, that’s what… and LT230 transfer case. It was also adapted to run on LPG. Downstream of here, a set of new propshafts in standard spec mate to the original Land Rover axles. ‘Original’, in this case, means the vehicle has the old-style drum-braked rear as well as two-pin diffs, as opposed to the four-pin units that would have been used on a factory-spec V8.

That didn’t stop John from dressing the hubs with a set of 16” Boost alloys and 265/75R16 BFGoodrich Muderrains, however. These go with a cheerfully lavish metallic black paint scheme to make it instantly obvious that this is no everyday 90 – not that the chrome styling bar up front that battles for attention with the stainless steel chimney behind the cab will have left you in doubt.

Much of the vehicle is there to look pretty, but that doesn’t stop it being as Continued overleaf

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Below: The 90 started life as a 2.5 diesel, which wasn’t going to suit John at all. But a previous owner had fitted the V8 from a Range Rover, which was fitted for LPG and bolted to an LT77 gearbox Right: John loves Landies, but he loves nice cars too. Add a Raptor dash, and that’s what the 90 becomes

practical as any other short-wheelbase truck-cab. More so, in fact, thanks to a nifty loadspace cover John made up himself by folding chequer plate around a sheet of ply, creating a false floor that protects the cargo beneath by keeping it out of sight and out of mind. The materials cost ‘a few quid’ (he might trade shares for a living, but he’s from a farming background) and the effect is as good as you’d get from a proprietary product costing hundreds.

Having got round the difficult task of positioning a hole in the cover to fit snugly around the exhaust stack and dropped the finished sheet into place on the wheel boxes, a bead of silicon sealant all round the edge keeps the compartment below it from turning into a dank cave with a mouldy roof.

member. There’s more of the same beneath the standard-fit sills – ‘beneath,’ rather than ‘instead of,’ because the originals are retained (clad, naturally, in chequer plate).

There’s yet more of the stuff on top of the original-style front bumper, which is also home to a tubular A-bar in eyeball-searing stainless steel.

Evidence of the vehicle’s off-road past comes in the shape of heavy-duty diff and steering guards, then up on top of the front wings you’ll find, who’d have thunk it, chequer-plate protectors.

These house a pair of KBX Hi-Force vents for the heater intake, adding further to the street machine image.

So too, in a very Land Rover sort of way, does the external roll cage. Unless you’re a scrutineer, in which case it

your life if you go over slowly, it’s not going to keep the vehicle up in a mighty one. It’ll help protect the cab from trees, though, given the chance, and provides the perfect mount for a set of four LED spotlights. These have integral ring-shaped daytime running lights which, by the wonders of Amazon, cost John a tastily modest forty quid for the lot.

The Mantec snorkel next to the right A-post is safely plumbed to the airbox, so if John were somehow able to get into water that deep without his HT system waving the white flag, his engine would at least live to fight another day.

As we’ve already established. John has not been slow to stamp his own mark on what was already a distinctive

‘I’d always prefer an old 90 to a Range Rover Sport or something like that’ The visual effect, which relies largely on you liking the look of ally plate, is finished off by a similarly clad tubular bumper extension on the rear cross-

would give you a fit. It’s only attached to the body (the front wings just ahead of the bulkhead, and the rear of the roof) so although it might well save

truck. His most recent addition is a pair of brand new Recaros, and further groovy gear in the cabin includes a sports steering wheel and a Raptor

Below: You might think the stainless exhaust makes the 90 look like a handbag on wheels, but everything you see here is as functional as it is pretty. John could afford to have the work done for him, but he rolled up his sleeves to build all of this

Engineering centre console, in which sits a DVD stereo with Bluetooth and iPhone dock. On top of the dash sits his phone displaying real-time movements in stock market prices.

This, then, isn’t your average story about a man from farming stock who’s rebuilt a 90 for his everyday car. It’s the tale of someone who loves his toys and, having found a Land Rover that was well on the way to being just what he wanted, was ready to roll up his sleeves and take it the rest of the way.

But it’s a story with a twist. A couple of weeks after we went to see the 90, John sold it.

Why? Well, he turned a handsome profit on it, which being from farming stock is in his blood. More to the point, no sooner had he finished the 90 than he became a dad – and though truck-cab 90s have many talents, transporting a growing family isn’t one of them.

Not that that’s the end. ‘I’d always prefer an old 90 to a Range Rover Sport or something like that,’ he says.

‘It doesn’t mean it’s a dream car to drive or it’s well designed or anything.

But it’s keeping it real. There’s just nothing like it.’ So the space in John’s garage is unlikely to be empty for long.

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Blossoming late in life…

Words Mike Trott Pictures Steve Taylor

The Series IIB isn’t known for its looks. But Land Rover’s original 110-inch work truck has a functional elegance we can all admire – especially when it’s being modified and restored into a shining example of an everyday classic

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ou won’t have seen many of these on the road. And if you have, it may have been at the side of the highway performing its duties, most likely a few decades ago.

But we’re not insinuating that it was squatting and fouling upon the

asphalt. Quite the opposite. This vehicle was formerly a cherry picker for the Southern Electric Board (SEB) and would have spent its days lifting workmen up and down in order to maintain the cable network. Some might say a cherry picker resembles the broken neck of a giraffe emerging

from the rear of the truck with a man in a bucket for its head.

This particular giraffe is a Series IIB 110 Forward Control finished in a nice peppermint green, as you can see in the pictures, though it wasn’t always that colour. Its old SEB livery would have been a tad less pale and

would have been most frequently seen stationery under the high-tension cables of Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Dorset and elsewhere.

After a long and productive life, this 110 FC has found its way to an owner who doesn’t mind its little quirks (nor the fact that it’s happy to eat into his wallet). He’s happy with it and will keep supporting it like an old mate.

The light-pocketed man in question is Jeremy Jackson, who fell in love with the truck a few years ago. ‘This

came up for sale back in early 2009. At the time it had a cherry picker on the back, as that’s what the previous owner had wanted. I didn’t really look round it much, but I wanted it so I bought it.

It was originally a SEB vehicle, but had been worked hard and wasn’t in the best of conditions!

‘When I got it home a few days later, it was far worse than I imagined. Pretty much everything was going against it – battered panels, rotten chassis, non-runner etc.

STEADY AS SHE GOES: The project has been a story of bringing it back and moving it forward in equal measure. That’s meant no small amount of welding work on the chassis, which was pretty much rotten when Jeremy bought the truck

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk WORK IN PROGRESS: There’s a major refit on the way in the cab, after which the truck will truly live up to the promise of its exterior. Underneath, the V8 from Simon Smith’s much-loved old comp safari 110 was shoe-horned into place already bolted up to the gearbox, and the linkages were modified to fit

The vehicle is a factory built IIB 110”. These were an evolution of the original IIA 109” forward control; the extra length was to fit the 6-cylinder that the IIB had as standard. They also had ENV axles with a wider track than the original IIA. Being a 1972 model, the truck is now over 40 years old and a bit of a retiree. Your initial take upon this leggy, box-shaped machine might be one of clinical observation and assessment. However, if you spend enough time with it, that personality certainly begins to come through.

It was never destined to wow onlookers with its aesthetics; it was solid and purposefully built with practicality in mind, a bit like a small brick building with a lavatory placed inside. You’re probably getting the drift here…

Now the vehicle has managed to start enjoying its retirement and, after having spent time with some carers, this Landy is feeling rejuvenated.

‘Much of the work was done by Andy Flanders and Alex Engineering,’ explains Jeremy. ‘It was finally running, but the engine was worn beyond economical repair.

‘Keen to stick with a 6-cylinder, I sent it up to Dave Marsh to put a 3.0-litre out of a P5 in it. Sadly, these are hard to find and the one I had was also junk! A bit of thought meant I decided to go for it and have a V8 fitted. He fitted a 3.9-litre complete with EFI, Series III gearbox and overdrive.’

It was also at this point that it gained a genuine mid-mount hydraulic winch.

‘Sadly,’ continues Jeremy, ‘this engine was one I supplied and also no use – spot a pattern?! It came back home and generally sat in the way for a while. However, among my other vehicles was an ex-Simon Smith 110 that had been comped and hillrallied.

It had a very sweet V8 in it but had otherwise gone past the point of value.’

At this point, the Walkers from Alex Engineering came in to help Jeremy get that sweet motor into his new dream machine. It wasn’t the simplest

of tasks, with the 3.5-litre Rover V8 taking up that bit more room under the bonnet than the original 6-pot power plant.

‘Fitting the new engine was certainly one of the problem areas,’ recalls Andy Walker of Alex Engineering. ‘It was a tight fit, so to make it work we had to connect the engine to the gearbox and lift the whole lot into place in one go. The high and low linkages were in need of some attention as well, and we spent a fair amount of time re-engineering the box.

‘We gave the truck a general servicing, checking over the running gear and brakes. We also spent a fair amount of time on the wiring and welding of the chassis.’

It’s fair to say this vehicle has been around, but like most objects (and some people), once you get into your

forties you’re bound to have started showing some signs of wear and tear and past action.

‘By this point,’ says Jeremy, ‘the body was looking a little patchwork so it got a full respray. Not its original SEB green, but a slightly lighter shade… I prefer it!

‘I’ve still got lots to do. The cab needs tidying, the winch needs plumbing and I plan to have a tilt frame and canvas fitted to the back.’

Jeremy had already fitted the side panels, and so as it evolves the truck will become more Lieutenant Land Rover than Steve the Electrician and very slowly start getting its mojo back… actually she is getting her mojo back. To Jeremy, this is an old lady.

‘Driving her is interesting. The steering needs a little fine-tuning, but she is very easy and rewarding to drive. She has cost a fortune so far – far more than she should have. Just like any lady worth caring about! But it’s unique and exactly what I want – so I’m happy with it.’

Land Rover specialist Alex Engineering is based in Long Marston, near Tring in Hertfordshire. You can contact the company on 01296 668848.

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G-WAC: PRESERVING THE FIRST DISCOS Issue 4: June 2014

When the first Discovery was launched in 1989, a group of 86 vehicles with G-WAC number plates flew the flag for a model that was to turn Land Rover’s fortunes around.

Today, with the 3dr getting as rare as the 2dr Range Rover and just 19 G-WACs left, the original Discovery has become quite the modern classic

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hen did you last see a 3dr Discovery on the road?

Not for a long while, probably. Yet the original Disco was built in both 3dr and 5dr form – except in the first year of

production, when this legend among family cars was available as a 3dr only.

It mimicked the Range Rover in this respect. Whereas it took that vehicle a full decade to grow an extra pair of doors, however, in the Disco’s case

Land Rover didn’t hang around.

No surprise there. When you see you’re on to a good thing, you make the most of it. And before the Disco came along, Land Rover was needing all the good things it could get.

At the end of the 1980s, Land Rover wasn’t in the best place. Two decades as part of British Leyland had starved it of basics like funding, competent management, a workforce that cared and a public that took it seriously, and The Discovery’s cabin was the result of a consultancy contract for Terence Conran, who was tasked to base it on the thinking of an interior designer rather than a motor engineer. It won awards when it was new, though the duck-egg blue colour certainly raised a lot of eyebrows. It looked a lot better in the dealers’ than it does after a couple of decades’ grubby action – the problem with a light colour scheme, of course, is that it shows up every last bit of dirt.

The interior’s styling is attractive to look at, nonetheless – though it’s extra entertaining if you enjoy nothing more than a game of ‘spot the British Leyland parts bin refugee…’

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk it had been flogged off as part of the Rover Group to British Aerospace.

Land Rover needed a saviour – a vehicle that would propel the brand and its workers towards a secure future and re-establish Solihull’s reputation as the home of the best 4x4xfar. It couldn’t just rely on the Defender, and by now the Range Rover was getting seriously long in the tooth. In fact, when spy shots starting appearing of a new vehicle with an unfamiliar body, the press jumped on it – assuming they were looking at the new Rangey.

But it wasn’t. What people were looking at was Project Jay. This was the codename given to what turned out to be the original Discovery development project – and therefore the vehicle that many people regard as the truck that saved Land Rover.

But it wasn’t the simplest of births.

In some ways, it’s a surprise that the firm was ever saved at all.

The Disco was originally conceived as a 3dr vehicle, purely because it was cheaper to build – and turn into a commercial van. Some will say that as with the Range Rover, the Disco was originally launched in 3dr form as Land Rover was nervous about the rigidity of a 5dr body while driving off-road.

In fact, the aim of the 3dr was to test the market with a view to rolling out the 5dr model should there be enough interest in this new Land Rover.

This is where some of the financial issues start to show through. The original Discovery was poorly made; there was little to no rust protection on those earliest models.

Roy Preston is the founder of the Project Jay Preservation Group. This is a breakaway section, if you like, of the Discovery Owners Club, interested purely in the safekeeping and sustaining of the 3dr Discovery.

‘The main problems with the old cars is body rot,’ confirms Roy. ‘The chassis is usually fine, but the inner wings, inner and outer sills and boot floor rust very badly.

Fortunately, there are fabricators now making replacement panels. The main problem is obtaining the interior plastic fittings. It is very brittle and breaks easily. The early trim panels were just stuck to a type of hardboard and the material shrinks.’

Another issue Land Rover faced in those days was that it didn’t want the Discovery to be seen as a downmarket Range Rover. This was quite a trick to pull off on a vehicle that used the same chassis, suspension and brakes as its older brother – as well as similar bodyshells, on which only the roof and rear end were different. Even the doors Continued overleaf

This is how the boot panel appeared on G410 WAC, which is currently being restored

by Alan Young. If the overall view below isn’t enough to strike fear into your heart, just check it out at close quarters on the right… ‘It’s undergoing extensive welding just to get rid of the rot,’ he says. ‘It’s in a bad state – but not as bad as one I have seen recently’

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You won’t normally run into chassis rust on a Discovery, but the body is terrible for it. As well as the boot floor pictured on the previous page, the inner wings are incredibly prone, as are the inner and outer sills. Rust protection on early Discos was as good as absent, so breathing new life back into a tired one will almost certainly involve lots and lots of welding. Patching them up is likely to be an exercise in chasing your own tail – but on the plus side, the problem is so widespread that you can buy entire fabricated panels to weld in as a replacement, allowing you to cut away the whole of the offending old stuff and replace it with good, solid metal. The plastic fittings are very fragile, though, and getting hold of replacements isn’t as straightforward as you might think were structurally the same, with just a redesigned skin to separate them.

To set the Discovery apart from the Range Rover, Land Rover had to dig deep into the old Leyland and Rover parts bin. Famously, the first Discoverys shared headlights with the Freight Rover and tail-lights with the Austin Maestro van.

It sounds like a recipe for disaster.

But one thing held it all together, and that was the Discovery’s deep-seated brilliance. Its interior, despite being derided now, was an award-winner then, and the many practical touches it packed in – along with a world-class driving position – gave the vehicle an appeal that caught on. The 3dr Disco was a massive success, meaning the 5dr’s place in the market was assured.

The Discovery was indeed the model that saved Land Rover. Against all the odds, it became a smash hit, dominating the 4x4 sales charts for year after year. More than a million sales later, it has long since become an icon.

Within Roy Preston’s Project Jay Preservation Group, special care and admiration is reserved for the G-WAC models. These are a number of vehicles which were at the original press and dealer launch in Plymouth back in October 1989. A total of 86 examples were used at the event, of which 43 were sold on. After 25 years, only 19 G-WACs are known to survive today.

‘It is good to see these old rusty Discoverys recycled into off-road fun cars, or the 200Tdi engine fitted to a Series Land Rover to give it more

The chassis might be dependable, but sills? Check. Floors? Check. Footwells?

Check. What you’re seeing here is a Disco in the process of being saved

useful power,’ says Roy. ‘But have a thought about the history of the model that you are scrapping, and should we be scrapping so many?

‘The 3dr Disco will soon be as rare as the 2dr Range Rover. The cars we should try to save are the 89-registered early production batch and the Specially Designated Vehicles (SDV). There were 86 cars registered for the launch.

‘We want to try and preserve the heritage of the Discovery and of Land Rover itself. If you know of an early ‘89 Discovery for sale, please get in touch as we have a number of enthusiasts who are always looking for a project.’

Like an early Series Land Rover, these Discoverys are now in the firing line for extinction, not least because of the difficulties the company had in bringing this model to market in the first place. It would be a shame to see the new fifth-generation Discovery roaming the roads in the next couple of years without ever being able to spot its predecessor alongside it.

From humble origins, the Discovery has gone on to achieve great things.

Roy Preston and his fellow G-WAC enthusiasts are determined that those origins will never be forgotten.

For more information, email Roy at roy@gwac.com or visit the Discovery Owners Club website at www.discoveryownersclub.org.

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WORKSHOP: P38A RANGE ROVER COIL CONVERSION

Converting the air-sprung MkII Rangey to coils is very popular – and it’s a job you can do yourself, so long as you’re thorough about the way you approach it Words: Malcolm Styles Pictures: Steve Taylor

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hen it was new, one of the defining features of the P38A MkII Range Rover was the air-sprung suspension that featured throughout the range.

One of the defining features of the same vehicle now it’s old is that same air suspension – or rather, how cripplingly expensive it is when it goes wrong.

It’s more than a decade now since the last of the MkIIs was built. And in almost all that time, an increasing number of people

have been bolting on kits to convert them to old-style coil springs.

Coils tend not to be as comfortable as a well maintained set of airsprings coupled to good dampers.

But the problem with the P38A is that the air-springs don’t age well – and when they go, they’ll probably cost more to put right than the vehicle is worth.

Of course, talking about ‘well maintained’ air-springs rules out plenty of the vehicles still up and running. Few P38As see much action off-road, but just keeping

it clean underneath is a big step in the right direction – the ride height sensors don’t like being covered in mud and abused at pointblank range with a jet wash any more than the rest of the vehicle.

Sensors get physically worn out, too, especially on a grotty vehicle. A fine example of more parts meaning more parts to go wrong.

But it’s the air-springs themselves that’ll break your heart, and your bank – especially if you need to pay someone else to do the work.

John Bowden of Gumtree 4x4, a company that’s been putting P38s on coil-springs for almost as long as the conversion has existed, agrees that air-suspension problems can easily cost more to remedy now than an everyday MkII Rangey is worth. But rather than

being gung-ho to recommend that you fetch off the factory equipment in favour of older, simpler technology, he suggests that just as times changed in favour of coils, they might just be changing back.

‘When we first started doing these conversions, customers would keep the pipes and pump blanked off and in place so they could change it back to air at a later date. The idea was that this might improve the vehicle’s resale value. That wouldn’t be the case any more.’

Might the opposite even hold true, and getting rid of the air springs makes a vehicle more appealing to buyers? After all, it’s pretty common knowledge that the P38’s suspension is one of its most fearsomely flaky areas.

‘I would perhaps have said the opposite was the case up to about a year ago,’ says John. ‘But not necessarily true anymore. Some people are now saying “this is a bit of a classic” about their Range Rover, and choosing to keep it on air springs.

‘If it’s a really nice one, there’s certainly an argument that keeping it mechanically original may be worthwhile. Particularly if there’s something about it that makes it collectable – we had a customer who took that view on a clean, low-mileage Autobiography, for example. ‘It’s still marginal, but if you think your P38 is becoming a classic it’s worth thinking about keeping the springs original – or at least keeping the bits in storage so you can convert it back again.’

SEATS FOR THE SPRINGS The new coil springs are fixed to the axle using a clamp bar and plate – exactly as they would be on the Range Rover Classic. On

A coiled P38A should actually be easier to maintain than a Classic. The reason for this is that the front shock isn’t inside the spring, meaning there are no shock turrets and fragile turret rings to corrode and break

the P38A, though, which never had coils in the first place, these are held by a turned adaptor whose shape mimics the base of

an air spring and which is held in place by a pin. The assembly bolts on to the air spring mounts, so there’s no welding required.

The spring seat adaptor assembles with the retaining ring and mounts on to the axle as shown to the left. With the spring mounted up and clamped in place, it’s basically a direct copy of the set-up on the Range Rover Classic

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Having removed the air springs and disconnected their pipework, the chassis mounts are used for bolting up mouldings to locate the coil springs

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Strike out the Lights

If you’re contemplating the idea of converting a Range Rover to coil springs, if you don’t want the results to drive you insane you’ll also need to budget for an ECU over-ride module. Removing the air springs and ride height sensors will baffle the suspension’s poor little brain, prompting it to turn your dashboard will turn into a festival of warning lights.

The vehicle will still drive just fine on its new springs. But you don’t want the distraction – and you certainly don’t want the annoyance. Some conversion kits include a conversion module (sometimes referred to as a ‘pigtail’,) but no need to panic if yours doesn’t as they’re also available separately.

With the upper spring mounts in place and the coil spring clamped to its new seats on the axle, it remains non-captive at the chassis as per the seat-up on the Classic

Different kits give you different stuff. Not all will include a set of polyurethane bump stops but, since you’re getting stuck this far into the vehicle’s suspension anyway, you’d be silly not to replace the old rubber ones – which are bound to be tired by this stage in the truck’s life

An alternative to coiling might be to replace the original air springs with Arnott versions, which John rates very highly.

They’re more expensive, but more of a fit-and-forget proposition. A coil-spring conversion kit will be cheaper, though (even from Arnott itself) – and fitting it isn’t beyond the average DIYer. Gumtree 4x4 puts an estimate of four hours on the job when pricing it up.

If you’re contemplating the conversion, John’s advice is only to use a kit that includes an over-ride module for the suspension’s ECU. Without this, your dashboard will turn into a festival of warning lights – the vehicle might still drive okay, but you don’t want the distraction and you certainly don’t want the annoyance.

Note also that there are two spring rates available in the kits you’ll find. If you’re going for it with steel bumpers and so on, the heavy-duty option might be for you – but only if yours is a diesel.

On a relatively standard one, these will raise the ride height a little, which can be useful, but don’t put them on a V8. The engine’s simply not heavy enough to compress them, so ride quality will be awful.

One of the most common mistakes people make when converting a Rangey to coils is cutting corners when it comes to fitting the over-ride module for the electronics. Here, the seat base trim has been removed (if you think it’s stuck and need to give it a mighty heave, check first that you haven’t forgotten the Phillips screw through to the fuse board and the trim clip hidden behind the B-post), allowing the new black box to be mounted on the seat base

Many kits include a module for over-riding the suspension ECU, but they’re also available separately. Britpart’s DA4136EAS unit typically retails at £50-60

Of course, there are plenty of options available if you want to do a serious lift for off-roading, with longer springs and shocks on offer from a wide variety of sources.

They won’t be marketed as a conversion kit as such, though, and you do need the hardware to fit them, but if you’re ready to go to these lengths that won’t faze you.

Neither will this. Gumtree’s Chief Mechanic, Martin Stapleton,

is a long-standing ARC competitor who’s handled more coil springs than you’ve had hot dinners. He used to think P38s were rubbish, but somehow he ended up buying a 2.5 DSE – and now he says he’s ‘deeply in love with it.’

Is it on coils, then? No, airsprings, and still working nicely.

That’ll be the benefit of being owned by a professional mechanic, then? ‘No,’ says John. ‘Just luck!’

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A BIT OF A PLAY

ADVENTURE THAT’S A COUNTRY AWA

IN THE LAND ROVER…

Words and pictures Robbie Strong

Never been off-road before? Three days of full-on adventure sport in the south of France should be enough to convert anybody to the joys of Land Rovers doing what they do best

I

’m no stranger to driving through France. I used to work in a factory in Lyon; they gave me a fast BMW and a tight schedule, and I’d bomb up and down the autoroute from Calais every other week.

That was years ago, so when my mate Derek asked me if I wanted to join him for a trip to the south of France ‘for a bit of a play in the Land Rover,’ it sounded like a great chance to revisit the old days.

Derek’s idea was a bit different to the routine I used to follow like clockwork, and involved two overnight stops and a fairly slow pace.

But once I’d realised that we were indeed actually on a jolly, not a

business trip, I soon tarted to convert to his way of thinking.

Reims, our first stop-off, was the turning point. Derek had booked us into an old-world hotel across the road from an enormous and similarly oldworld café where they served the best steak and chips I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot.

The slow pace, it turned out, is an inegral part of the whole Land Rover experience. I’ve been in plenty of Range Rovers travelling at warp speed in my time, but in Derek’s Defender 90 we cruised through France at about sixty and, by the time we stopped in a village near Saint Etienne, I’d got used to chugging along with the quiet

hum of the Mud-Terrain tyres as our constant companion.

The journey towards our destination was definitely part of the adventure, but it was nothing compared to what was waiting for us when we arrived in Chambon sur Lignon, a village in the Haute-Loire province, famous for becoming a haven for Jews fleeing persecution in WWII.

TAKEN ABACK

These days, it’s home to the 1000 Rivers, an off-road rally which runs for three days every autumn.

You might have guessed that I was a novice at off-roading. Derek is an old hand, though, and had done the 1000

Rivers – in his words, one of the tamer rallies run in France – once before.

I’m not sure whether he or I was more taken aback by what was waiting for us on the first day’s route. We came

545

miles The 1000 Rivers isn’t that far away…

to a turning off the road and down what looked like a boulder field with trees growing wherever there wasn’t a rock. I noticed a few 4x4s parked at the top, which is apparently a sign that there’s something hairy ahead.

Sure enough, the 4x4s belonged to marshals whose job was to guide us through the trickiest bits. Even with their help, we found ourselves leaning crazily to one side, almost pressing up against a tree, and simultaneously hanging forward in our seat belts.

Suddenly, the cars ahead came to a halt. People started getting out and shouting frantically. To me, this looked much like the average lunch break at the old factory in Lyon, but Derek

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– BUT A WORLD APART

Some events are mud-runs, some are rock-crawls. The 1000 Rivieres is a bit of everything – and all of it pretty gnarly in places, too. Brits travel to the south of France every year to take part – for many, it’s an annual highlight of the off-road calendar wasn’t so sure, so we decided to get out and see what was up.

FORWARD ROLL

A Toyota Land Cruiser was what was up. Or down, actually. Some Brits in a Jeep told me they saw it perch on its nose and fall right over onto its roof.

Fortuately, the people who’d been inside seemed okay.

As far as I could see there were two possible causes of the shunt. One was that the Land Cruiser was on such enormous tyres that its centre of gravity was now too high to control, and the other was that, on account of its Belgian number plate, its crew probably had never had to drive down a hill before.

Around that time, I asked Derek if he’d known what he was doing when he described the 1000 Rivers as ‘a bit of a play.’ He was quite non-committal in his answer, I found.

In spite of the brighter weather on the second day, it was no plain sailing for some, including the driver of a Jeep we saw stranded on top of what looked like a landslide, and some Brits we spoke to at the finishing point who had just been through the final section of the route. We’d set off late and had The French are huge fans of big 90s and Discos, but they love a leafer too. This Series III went most of the places the modern stuff did – and as the stickers show, it’s a 1000 Rivieres regular

to miss that bit out, something Derek seemed secretly relieved about when we heard about the loose, wet climb up a hillside, with 90-degree twists on

back and proudly say “at least I did two days of the 1000 Rivers before chickening out”?’ With that, we took our roadbook and jumped aboard.

‘We hadn’t come all this way to shirk a challenge, but knew the Land Rover had to get us home again…’ the way and sheer drop-offs behind.

It sounded like the worst of the tracks from the previous morning, only this time going uphill in failing light. Scary.

Not as scary as the final morning, though, on which we woke to find heavy rain and the organisers giving out stern warnings about the ground conditions. Lots of crews seemed to be pulling out.

We were in a predicament. We hadn’t come all this way to shirk the challenge, but knew the Land Rover had to get us home again. Derek finally made a good point: ‘When you’re on your death bed, are you going to look

It did turn out to be moderately terrifying. Grip was definitely the theme for that final day. Every rock we hit had our wheels spinning violently, sliding us all over as we fought to find traction; by the end of the day, Derek had explained to me what a locking diff was for – and vowed to fit a pair before our next adventure.

What that adventure might entail is another story. I can say for sure that I’m up for anything now. I’ve come late to the off-road game, but after this amazing introduction to the joys of Land Rovering, how could I possibly want to stop now?

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monsters go mad in wales

Busman’s holiday on the lanes for the team behind the Mud Monsters events

Pictures by Becky Large Each year, the boys and girls from Mud Monsters travel to Wales in a convoy of off-road vehicles, full of excitement over the challenges the great green lanes here will bring. This year, as ever, it was once again worth the four-hour trip.

The Monsters’ annual trip sees them take over Llanerchindda Farm in Llandovery, renting out the farmhouse there which has become a home away

from home for the group. It provides a great base camp with loads of parking, a place to fix a Land Rover or two and a jet wash if the day has been particularly muddy.

The owners themselves are keen green laners and always let their visitors know which lanes are open and which are closed – as well as making sure everyone’s fed to perfection. ’Some of the best food we’ve ever had,’ according to Mud Monsters’ Mark McMillen.

‘Each day,’ continues Mark, ‘we travelled the lanes in convoys of no more than five, making our way with a combination of good old paper maps plus an iPad with Memory Map.’ Using an iPad, Toughbook or other such device is a big help on the lanes as it shows you exactly where you are on the map, thus helping you from straying off the right of way by accident. Some of the lanes in MidWales can be very difficult indeed to follow, so this is no small matter – and being able to load the software with traces of the routes you’ve driven before makes it handier than ever.

‘We stayed for a week in total, managing to cover around 100 miles

each day,’ says Mark. ‘This gives everyone on the trip a good variation of lanes, from great, steep hill climbs, challenging rock steps, scenic views of mountains and reservoirs and of course fording our way through as much water as we can find. We have many favourites that we have all done several times.’

Many long-standing green laners struggle not to feel wistful about the good old days when they visit Wales, back before the 2006 NERC Act closed a lot of excellent and completely sustainable lanes overnight.

But the country is still full of many outstanding rights of way – and is still a firm favourite for 4x4 holidays.

‘Our favourite memory of this year’s visit will be one climb where the rock steps caught out every vehicle in the group,’ says Mark. ‘Which of course meant no-one was immune from what followed. Thanks to every truck being handed a walkie-talkie at the start of the week, no mistake went unnoticed – which of course helped provide a brilliant week of banter over the airwaves!

‘We were so lucky, as we had bright, sunny days throughout the trip and even managed to squeeze in visits to a couple of castles. A fantastic break in Wales with great friends – and a trip that everyone is already looking forward to doing again next year.’

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WE’VE DONE LLANERCHINDDA TOO – AND WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE! Words Emily Gravenor Pictures Steve Taylor In October 2005, Martin and Lynne Hadley, plus sons Mark and Andrew, moved from their successful Lake District hotel to a farm in the heartland of Wales.

It wasn’t just any old farm, though.

Llanerchindda is a B&B attached to a 50-acre expanse of farmland on a hillside up-country of Llandovery.

Under its previous owner, Nick Bointon, it became a mecca for green laning, welcoming groups of Land Rover drivers keen to explore the rights of way in this part of Wales.

Since then, the Hadleys have carried on where Nick left off – and moulded Llanerchindda into a paradise of their own. The meals are home-cooked (and delicious) and you could spend long enough just sitting on the patio looking at the view of the Bran Valley spread out in front of you.

But people come to Llanerchindda from far and wide (even abroad) for more besides. They come for walking, bird watching, mountain biking, horse riding, fishing, star gazing… and, of course, green laning. The farm even has its own off-road course, should

you be looking for the sort of action it doesn’t do to look for on the lanes.

The whole family are extremely knowledgeable about the local rights of way, and offer whatever assistance

you want to help you get the best from the area – marked-up maps, mobile sat-navs, even a guide to join you in your vehicle or a lead car to pilot you along the way. They’re heavily involved in green lane maintenance and work with GLASS and Treadlightly! to keep the lanes preserved and usable by making sure their visitors know where they can and can’t go.

That’s easy when it comes to the classic lanes like Strata Florida and Soar y Mynydd. But there are many which people rarely think to try, too – and as Andrew explained to us, from behind the wheel as we explored some aboard his Discovery, that’s where the family’s knowledge is so valuable.

Wales is full of hidden gems – and hooking up with a local guide is the way to find them (and, of course, to avoid the landmines).

Just ask their customers from the Netherlands, who visit every year

and do a tour from Llanerchindda up to Bala, travelling off-tarmac for as much of the way as is possible. The family organise this trip and arrange accommodation for the drivers to stop off at along the way, effectively

providing a full guide and tourism service for the Welsh green lanes.

No wonder they’ve been welcomed in the valleys. As well as providing employment, Llanerchindda brings in some significant income by encouraging green laners and others from around the UK and beyond to spend their money in Wales. Anyone with cooking skills like Lynne’s has got to be okay, too – believe me when I tell you, the catering at Llanerchindda is the kind to get misty-eyed about.

It’s no surprise that the Hadleys keep on welcoming customers back as, like their Dutch friends, they return time after time.

You could easily spend a week exploring all the lanes there are in this magnificent corner of Wales, without ever driving the same one twice. And if you ask me, Llanerchindda Farm is the perfect place from which to find that out for yourself.

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LANDIES AT THE FORE IN COMP SAFARA ACTION ACROSS THE UK Land Rovers of all shapes and sizes have been in the thick of the action at various top-level springtime comp safaris. None more so than the 4.8-litre 100” special driven by James Swindell, whose event seemed to be over when he snapped its rear axle case on the last run of the first day at Northern Off Road Club’s Kirton event.

Undaunted, James put his truck on his trailer, drove 90 miles home, welded it all back together, braced it and came back in time for the off on the Sunday. That’s normally enough to guarantee a spirit of the event award, but James wasn’t just there to make up the numbers – and after a determined day’s racing, his efforts were rewarded with third place overall.

Another sort-of Landy coming back to recover from early trouble was Chris Hannam’s Lofthouse Freelander.

Unfortunately, Chris got lost on his first run, costing himself two minutes and also spraining his wrist while having a minor off.

Chris’ response to this setback was to pledge that he’d pull back the time and win the event. And he very nearly did, too, posting one fastest lap after another until, with two runs left, he was right in the mix. But at that point, Chris Hannam, driving his third new

LEFT, TOP: Ben Gott won the Freelander Challenge at the BCCC meeting in the Race2Recovery Freelander; his time of 2:55:50 would have placed him tenth in the main standings. Pic by Gary Simpson / Songasport LEFT, BOTTOM: It’s a spaceframe special, not a production Landy, but Ryan Cooke’s Milner LRM-1 Evoque is one of the most spectacular lookalike racers of any kind.

At its fastest, nothing can catch it, but he was hindered by an off on his final run and had to settle for ninth place overall. Pic by Gary Simpson / Songasport ABOVE: James Swindell broke the rear axle on his 100” special as day one of the NORC event came to a close. He loaded it on to his trailer, did a 180-mile round trip home to weld it up and came back to take third place overall. Pic by Gavin Lodge car in three seasons, put in his fastest two laps of the event to hold him off by a mere 12 seconds.

Meanwhile at Myherin, in the British Cross Country Championship, Britpart’s Paul Myers took second

place overall in his Tornado – despite ending one run by rolling his way over the flying finish. Mike Moran drove his AT 4x4 Challenger to fourth, comfortably ahead of Richard Green’s Tomcat 100, but Ryan Cooke’s Evoquebodied Milner LRM-1 only finished ninth after an event that saw him first posting fastest times then throwing it at the scenery on his final lap.

The Freelander Challenge, which runs as part of the BCCC, was won by Ben Gott. His time would have had him hot on Cooke’s heels in the main standings, a fine indication of the value of consistency.

All compers know about that, and many of a certain age also know that Arena Essex used to be a popular regular venue in the national-level events. So members of the Southern Counties Off Road Club were excited by the opportunity to race there for the third round of the 2014 season, in an event shared with the Essex LRC. There was an early hurdle to get over when the set-up team arrived to discover that the course they had planned was hosting the Essex RTV. After a bit of head-scratching, they worked out that they could do the job by marking the course out backwards.

A little confusing, but it worked!

The event itself saw Howard Leat taking the win on what was his first comp in two years. Chris Smeeth was the fastest Essex LRC entrant by a long way, keeping the top three just about in sight to post a fourth place overall – a creditable result for an ALRC motor in an event dominated by specials.

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Oxey triallers go in search of traction

Slippery going favours 90s at Leics and Rutland RTV

Words Mike Trott Pictures Tony Birch Leicestershire and Rutland Land Rover Club saw their latest RTV held at Oxey Farm, complete with a challenging course laid out by marshals Simon Watson, Mick Wildman and Jack Watson. Simon had expressed doubts concerning how well a fully loaded 110 on All-Terrains would be able to set out the trial in conditions favouring those who prefer to slide across fields as opposed to drive, although all was well in the end.

A spattering of rain and heavy dew on the grass meant the Sunday morning yielded some treacherous surfaces, particularly on some of the steeper banks. But in true off-road style, the drivers took to the challenge.

Of the eleven drivers who attempted the course, the overall top three spots were eventually taken by Class 4 competitors from the standard 90 group, proving the Defender’s edge on

this terrain. Nonetheless, there was a general mix of vehicles in attendance from a Series I to a P38 Range Rover.

Thanks go to Simone, Tony and Stef for helping Mick, Jack and Simon to marshal the course. Martin Wynne

took the overall honours with 14 points recorded, in what was the LRLRC’s third RTV of the year. The club now heads to Eaton Lodge for the next round as the battle for the 2014 championship continues.

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Good start at Badwell Ash

Suffolk LROC’s CCVT championship kicks off with every kind of terrain packed into one venue

Words Andy Jeff Pictures Adam Julian Based in Badwell Ash, the first Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club CCVT of the year is always a hotly contested, friendly event enjoyed by competitors and spectators alike.

Badwell Ash is a disused sand and gravel pit in which there are all types of terrain, ranging from soft sand and water holes to an excellent selection of mud, axle-twisters, clay banks and steep drops. To the pleasure of onlookers, it’s also an open site with virtually no trees!

As usual, a wide range of vehicles with members both new and old turned out for the trial. There’s no such thing as an ALRC club member who doesn’t love seeing a Series Landy holding its own against more modern purpose built-triallers… it doesn’t have to have a V8 engine burbling away under its bonnet like Martin Sealey’s Series III, though we all love the noise, too, if it does!

The sections were skillfully set out to incorporate all the features of the site. They also included the popular ‘target time’ area, which aims to test an even pace as well as driving ability.

We mentioned how much we love seeing a leafer in action against the Goliaths of the trialling world, but on this occasion the only Series truck entered in the trial was forced to retire with a broken rear diff. Fortunately, this was the only casualty of the day – so for the majority of the Sussex triallers, the event represented a successfully negotiated first hurdle in what promises to be as tricky a season’s championship as ever.

It was particularly successful for Rob Last, who cruised to victory in Class 1 aboard his Whitbread buggy. Dave Roots’ Tomcat and Andy Cutting’s Discovery were tied for second, with the former coming out on top by dint of the three shunts taken by the longer vehicle.

In Class 2, for road-legal vehicles, Mark Stacey’s Disco and Martin

Vince’s Defender 90 were tied on penalty points for first place, with the former taking it on the ‘furthest clearest’ rule. Adam Lambourne finished third, with Rob Ford just three points behind him aboard the only 110 in the event.

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HBROC proves two into one will go with combo event at Hogmoor

RTV/playday a resounding success as triallers compete – to a backdrop of nutters at play

The south of England hasn’t exactly been blessed with glorious weather so far this year. But the Hants and Berks Land Rover Owners Club bucked that trend completely when they paid a visit to Hogmoor Enclosure at Bordon in Hampshire, for a combined RTV and Playday.

In what could only be described as perfect conditions, the club hosted the event on one of the many army sites that give the area such appeal.

While some went off to explore the surroundings by themselves, the RTV trial provided plenty of opportunities to take in (or be taken in by) the variety of terrain on offer.

Comprising of 8 sections throughout the day with 12 gates in

each, drivers had to negotiate the forested backdrop with sand, mud, soil, water and any other surface you can imagine, ready to spring a surprise for the unwary.

The sections were often tight and technical, with little or no room for error in what was a well set up course.

A dozen drivers signed on for the RTV with 4 classes being represented – Class 4 (Defender 90s), Class 5 (Discoverys and Range Rovers), Class 7 (leafers) and Class 10 (modifieds).

It’s a rare occurrence that someone picks up so few penalty points over the course of a whole trial, but Chris Homewood took the Class 4 honours with just 4. Garry White won Class 5 in his Range Rover, notching up 14

points in the process – though had it not been for Steve Aston’s mishap on Section 7 where he clipped the 10 gate, the bragging rights could quite easily have gone elsewhere. Ashley Bartlett took victory in Class 7 with his Series IIA, while the modified Class 10 honours went to Andy Bunyan.

Terrafirma was also attending with the intention of testing some of its latest products – the company hopes to see these hitting the market soon.

They brought along a Disco 3 with a concealed front winch bumper, snorkel and tree sliders, a Defender 90 with new KAM diff locks and a tasty Disco 1 with +2” shocks, diff locks, steering guard and Cooper Discoverer S/Ts, to name a few noteworthy enhancements.

Lucky pay and play drivers had the chance to win prizes and goodies, courtesy of Terrafirma, in the raffle.

Adam Gillam went away with the top prize of a £100 Terrafirma voucher, while Ross Gill got one for £75 and Steve Grant took home a goody bag.

Undisputed star of the day was the owner of a Disco who drove it into the lake, got stuck for ages and then, when all seemed lost, somehow managed to reverse out. RTV drivers were looking on in awe at this point.

Trial and playday alike were a big success, and running both together was a clever way of helping the sums

add up in terms of paying for a venue like Hogmoor. Site sharing of one kind or another is looking increasingly to be the way forward – and if it’s what it takes to let clubs pull off events like this, it can only be a good thing!

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HANTS AND BERKS IS HEAVEN FOR LANING, TOO When you’re a 4x4 club based near Salisbury Plain, organising green lane runs is only natural. Not surprisingly, the HBLROC run very good ones.

We joined them on a winter run between Christmas and New Year, when half a dozen Defenders and a Discovery meandered over the lanes criss-crossing the Plain. Things didn’t get off to a great start, when Joe Man’s efforts to keep the momentum going in his Disco ended when Arne Jonsson’s 110 turned out to have been parked in the wrong place, but that’s what heavy-duty bumpers are for. Arne showed that there are no hard feelings by recovering the Disco on the end of a rope, and soon afterwards everyone was loving it as the route went through several stretches of deep surface water.

Local knowledge is a valuable thing around here, and arranging your laning on military land for the Christmas break makes abundant sense as all the red flags tend to be down. In particular, the tracks on to the Imber Ranges are opened up, allowing 4x4 drivers and trail riders to visit the village that was taken over by the Army during preparations for D-Day. That episode may be a black mark against the Plain’s military landlords, but the Army’s stewarship of the land and its rights of way could show many others a thing or two. This was one of the club’s first runs in the area since a move to signpost byways on the training area – and to create a number of ‘permissory’ byways on former RUPPs. One of these branches off a byway near Chitterne whose claim to fame is that it runs alongside a military airstrip. The word ‘airstrip’ might put you in mind of little Cessnas and microlights and so on. ‘I saw a couple of Hercules sat over there once,’ Arne told us, which put an end to that.

Darkness had fallen by the time we said goodbye to the Plain, exiting via one of the lanes near Sidbury Hill. As the group said their goodbyes before heading for home, it struck us that this was possibly the most civilised bunch of Landy fans we’d ever been out with.

Maybe it was the festive spirit, or maybe the HBLROC is a particularly gentlemanly sort of club. Or maybe it’s what comes with knowing that when you’re out on your local lanes, the powers that be accept you’re an intelligent adult. Either way, this is how it should be.

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